Chantico and John Pearce Take Top Honors in the $35,000 Grand Prix of the Pacific Presented by California Horsetrader

John Pearce and Chantico Photo: McCool Photography
John Pearce and Chantico
Photo: McCool Photography

Del Mar, Calif. – Oct. 14, 2018 – It was a beautiful afternoon at the Del Mar Fairgrounds for the $35,000 Grand Prix of the Pacific presented by California Horsetrader & horsetrader.com. Forty horse and rider combinations took to the Del Mar Arena to try their luck on Anderson Lima’s first round course consisting of 16 jumping efforts including one double and one triple combination.

Many pairs were on point and successfully completed the first round fault free, resulting in a 20-strong field of competitors for the short course. The audience was treated to an action-packed jump off as each horse and rider attacked the course with as much pace as possible.

John Pearce and Chantico emerged victorious, with a lightning fast jump off time of 44.703 that no one could quite catch. “He’s so naturally fast, you don’t have to push him,” said Pearce of the 13-year-old dark brown Holsteiner stallion owned by Karen Ball. “All I had to do is find the jumps. He’s like a bullet off my leg and turns on a dime. He’s just a super athlete.”

John Pearce and Chantico Photo: McCool Photography
John Pearce and Chantico
Photo: McCool Photography

Chantico was first a dressage horse, and Pearce started him over fences when the stallion was eight years old. “He’s learning the ropes as he becomes older, and he’s just getting smarter about his job,” said Pearce. “I’m so happy for him; this is a really nice win for him.”

Coming in just fractions of a second behind Pearce and Chantico were Laura Hite and her Calypso VD Zuuthoeve, a 10-year-old bay Warmblood gelding. And nipping at both their heels was Ashlee Bond aboard Chela S, a 14-year-old chestnut mare of unrecorded breeding.

Frascati and Amy Brubaker Earn Highest Marks in the $15,000 PCHA Child/Adult Hunter Championship

Amy Brubaker and Frascati Photo: McCool Photography
Amy Brubaker and Frascati
Photo: McCool Photography

West Palms Events was honored to host the $15,000 PCHA Child/Adult Hunter Championships at Del Mar International Welcome Week. This prestigious event took place over two days in the San Diego Arena. Twelve horses and riders earned a place in the final round on Sunday morning, and when the round was completed, Frascati and Amy Brubaker had the highest marks to take the championship.

“He is my best friend in the world,” said Brubaker of the 12-year-old bay Hanoverian gelding. “He’s like riding on a cloud. I was very happy with him today. It’s always challenging to start over an oxer; we really had to gallop right up to the first fence but it was fun and challenging!” Brubaker has owned Frascati for four years, and though she lives in Salt Lake City, she trusts her trainer Tracy Burroughs to take care of Frascati in Huntington Beach.

Amy Brubaker and Frascati Photo: McCool Photography
Amy Brubaker and Frascati
Photo: McCool Photography

In second place was Mystere, a 7-year-old bay Belgian Warmblood gelding owned and ridden by Amy Hilmer. Taking third was So To Speak, a 10-year-old bay Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Victoria Otto and ridden by Kim Hall.

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